87 Money Expressions: The Smart Money Is Here!

Have you ever picked up something dirt cheap from the store? Today we will uncover 87 money expressions, and their meanings! If you practice all of these, you will be able to communicate more like a native speaker of English. The topic of money is universal. It doesn’t matter where we are from – money will be a subject in our lives. As a result, money idioms are extremely common in the English language!

Note: The sentences and expressions contained in this article are not intended as financial or money advice. They are provided solely for the purpose of practicing and improving English language skills. Always consult a professional for financial guidance.

Money expressions: 1-10

The first ten of our money expressions are below, including their meanings.

1. Dirt Cheap: This means something is extremely cheap! It is used mostly in a positive way, to mean something is easily obtainable.
2. Hole in the wall: The expression hole in the wall is used to refer to a cash machine/ATM. Many ATMs are situated in a wall, hence the name “hole” in the wall.
3. Clean up: When we clean up, we make lots of money or a large profit.
4. Sticky fingers: This is one one the money expressions people use when they want to say someone is a thief. Their fingers are sticky like glue, so things adhere to them!
5. Fool’s gold: It means that something at first appears flashy and sophisticated, but in the end, is worthless.
6. Kickback: When someone is paid a bribe, they have received a kickback. It is often used to refer to suspicious business or political deals. 
7. Cut off: Means that someone has been denied access to funds.
8. Shell out: To shell out a means to pay money for something, usually an expensive item.
9. All that glitters is not gold: Refers to something that isn’t actually good even though it looks gorgeous are expensive. The external appearance doesn’t reflect what is inside.
10. Pricey: It is just an alternative word for expensive and it is in a conversational tone. 

Related: Cash in a Sentence: 100 Examples for Better English

Money expressions: 11-20

Here are the next 10 of our money expressions today! These idioms related to money can help improve your speaking ability, and also your comprehension. 

11. Go bust: go bust means to become bankrupt.
12. Cheapskate: A cheapskate is a person who doesn’t like to spend money on things.
13. Bread and butter: Refers to the main income a person gets, or the main source of income that someone has.
14. Money bags: People use money bags to refer to someone who has lots of money.
15. Rain check: When we make a rain check it means we postpone doing something with another person.
16. Breadwinner: A breadwinner is the member of the family who earns the majority of the income.
17. Chicken feed: Not the actual food, means a ridiculously small amount of money. 
18. Break even: This is a business English money expression. When a company breaks even they are covering all the costs from the profit they have made. 
19. The smart money: Means a good investment. If you want to invest, you should go where the smart money is. Experts usually know how to invest money well. 
20. Easy money: It means that the way you acquired the cash was simple and easy. 

Money expressions: 21-30

Here is the third set of money expressions! I hopefully you can make your own original sentences with these!

21. Blank check: This is a finance term, which means the funds are apparently limitless. 
22. Penny pincher: A penny pincher is someone who is overly cautious about spending money.
23. Filthy rich: Means extremely wealthy. It is almost as if they have too much money!
24. Deadbeat: A deadbeat is one who is unproductive and lazy. They don’t earn much or work hard. 
25. Out of pocket: When we are out of pocket it means we have suffered a financial loss. 
26. Rags to riches: Rags symbolize poverty, and the word riches means wealth. We can talk about someone’s life and how it is a “rags to riches” tale.
27. Mint condition: If something is in mint condition, then it is almost new. It is in fantastic condition.
28. Time is money: When people say that time is money, what they mean is time is very valuable.
29. Go Dutch: It means to split the bill. It often happens at restaurants when several parties are eating together. They ask, shall we go Dutch?
30. Nickel and dime: This is often used as a verb. If we nickel and dime someone, then we are charging them for every single petty thing. 

Money idioms: 31-40

The next 10 money idioms are as follows:

31. Skint: This expression is especially common in the United Kingdom and Australia, and other British English-speaking countries. It means we have no money. 
32. Pennies from heaven: The next of our money expressions, pennies from heaven means an unexpected and joyous windfall.
33. Chip in: The term “chip in” means to contribute towards something. It’s usually referring to money, but it can mean effort or help, too. 
34. Money is the root of all evil: Coming from the Bible, money is the root of all evil means money causes problems among people.
35. Make ends meet: To make ends meet means to earn enough money to survive. 
36. Dime a dozen: This expression means something is widespread and ordinary. For example, there are many universities, in fact, they are a dime a dozen. 
37. Grubber: A grubber or a money-grubber is a person who is extremely focused and driven on earning money. 
38. Scot free: While not exclusively an idiom, it refers to getting away with something without payment or punishment. 
39. In-kind: This means that we pay for something using goods or services, instead of money.
40. Penny wise and pound foolish: If someone is very careful with small financial matters but reckless and extravagant with large purchases then we can say they are penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Money idioms: 41-50

Here are 10 more money idioms:

41. Put your money where your mouth is: This money expression is often said when we don’t believe someone can do what they are promising
42. I’m broke: It means we don’t have any money left! Another word we have looked at today which is similar is “skint”.
43. On the house: On the house means for free. It most probably comes from casinos or gambling, when the house awards something at no cost to a player. 
44. Pay the Earth: Means you have to pay an extremely high amount for something. The Earth is highly valuable, of course!
45. Get along on a shoestring: We manage our meager finances very well.
46. A set price: Another term for a fixed price. It means the price to be paid is agreed upon and will not change.
47. Courtesy costs nothing: This is an old proverb in English. It means that showing courtesy or good manners is free. 
48. Cost an arm and a leg: Just a figure of speech and not real, this is quite a funny addition to our money idioms and means really expensive. Arms+legs symbolize high cost or value!
49. Feather your nest: This is a cynical idiom. It means to make money or profit in a selfish way.
50. Make an honest buck: Means to earn money in a good, fair, traditional way.

Sayings about money: 51-60

There next 10 sayings about money are as follows. Also in today’s expressions, you may find some money proverbs, perhaps even in this next list?

51. Cash n carry: This is a type of business. It is generally connected to the wholesale of goods. Usually cheaper than regular stores.
52. Ready cash: This is an expression that can be used in economics. It is a form of finance or money that is readily available. 
53. Cost a pretty penny: When something costs a pretty penny, it is very pricey. 
54. Pool of cash: This idiom is used often in business and means the company or person has a concentrated sum of money available.
55. Cost a packet: When something costs a packet it is extremely expensive.
56. That ship has sailed: We use the saying “that ship has sailed” to talk about an opportunity or chance that is no longer available. We were too late, we missed the boat!
57. Give me a run for my money: If we give someone a run for their money, it means we compete very closely with them. 
58. Struggle to make ends meet: When we struggle to make ends meet, it means that we are struggling financially.
59. A light purse is a heavy curse: This old proverb means not having money is a big problem for people, in general. 
60. Count the cost: When somebody says “count the cost”, they are meaning we are experiencing the reality of our loss. 

Sayings about money: 61-70

Here are the next 10 of our idioms related to money! There might be some business English expressions here! 

61. Feed the kitty: To feed the kitty means to put money into a pool. It is often used for social groups or organizations.
62. As poor as a church mouse: The idiom as poor as a church mouse means very poor. 
63. Jack up the price: Means to increase the price of something by a lot. I’m sure a lot of people have seen prices get jacked up recently!
64. Heavy price: A heavy price means something is costly, not only in financial terms but it can also be in social terms. 
65. To cook the books: A business English idiom, and it means the accountant or someone like that manipulated numbers to make them look more favorable. Not legal!
66. On the money: To be on the money means to be correct, right, and exactly on point.
67. Take a beating: While the idiom “take a beating” can mean to be physically attacked, it can also mean financially speaking, too.
68. Cash poor: The idiom cash poor is the direct opposite of another expression, cash-rich. It means the company doesn’t have a pool of money readily available to be used.
69. Burning a hole in your pocket: You will often hear parents tell their children that their money is burning a hole in their pockets. It means they are desperate to spend it! Of course, it is not talking about real fire! 
70. Pick up the tab: This English idiom means to cover the costs of something. 

Finance idioms: 71-80

Let’s now check out some finance idioms! There might also be some idioms about saving money, and idioms about spending money, too!

71. Go bust: To go bust means to become bankrupt.
72. Pay the price: If we do something we shouldn’t, finally the cost must be paid.
73. Quick buck: This means making money quickly and easily.
74. Ten a penny: This financial idiom means something that is extremely common or ordinary.
75. Scrimp and save: This means being very careful with our money in order to save up.
76. Splash out: This idiom means to be extravagant and spend money you normally wouldn’t.
77. Scrimp: This means cutting costs and economizing.
78. Skinflint: A person who is miserly, selfish, and avoids spending.
79. More money than sense: We use this idiom to describe someone who spends recklessly.
80. Buy out: When a company acquires control of another, if they bought them, we can say buy out.

Idioms for expensive

These days many things seem expensive, right? It might be a good time then, to look at some idioms for expensive! 

81. A rip-off: A rip-off is something that represents very poor value for money. It isn’t worth paying that much money for the item.
82. Drive a hard bargain: It means someone asks for a high price for something. It is usually combined with a person’s name or a pronoun. For instance: You drive a hard bargain.
83. Daylight robbery: This English saying is used to comment on the price of something. If something costs a bomb, or we consider it far too pricey, then we can say the price is “daylight robbery”.
84. Cost a bomb: We use this figurative saying to mean that something is exorbitantly priced.
85. Beyond my budget: This means something is very costly compared to what you planned, or can afford.
86. Not within my budget: This is a similar expression to beyond my budget. When people say something is not within their budget, what they mean is something is too expensive for them.
87. Fork out: Means to pay, usually a high price. It normally means we are doing it in a reluctant way.

Money expressions from rich to poor

Have you ever been skint? What is beyond your budget? Are you the breadwinner for your family? Which of today’s money expressions did you like the most? If you can use these expressions in daily conversation, it will help you on your goal toward mastering English! Remember to practice them all by saying them out loud as many times as possible. This will help you remember them better!